Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-06-08
MRS. HANCOCK's BOOK.

General Hancock's widow, who is at.
present staying with friends in Yon-.
kers, N. y, has written a book. It is
q volume Of "reminiscences Of the event..
full life Of her husband, told by her at
the solicitation of her friends. She has
been engaged upon it year, and it
will be given to the public in a few
weeks. The number Of pages will be
about 500, and the printing will be in
the same type and Of the same general
character as the Grant Memoirs. A
glance a the manuscript, which has
kindly been permitted by the publish
ers, Charles L.. Webster & Co., shows
that the author has dwelt particularly
upon the domestic life of the General
in simple style, but most entertainingly,
and has told many new facts in his ca
reer. ~ ga e., @.'~' .Ga.,@
The narrative opens with the begin
ing of their married life, and then relates
at length their experience in Florida,
where the General was sent in 1856 to
fight the Seminole Indians, and where
Mrs. Hancock was the only woman at
the post. An account of the General S
| ride of .2100 miles on mule back from
Fort Leavenworth to California, earlier
in life, is also given, with extracts of the
journal he kept on the trip. In 1857
they came North from Florida, and
spent several months n Washington.
A graphic picture of the social life of
the capital at that time and some inter-
esting personals are given. '.M1ss Har-
riet Lane, mistress of the White House, :"
says Mrs. Hancock, 'with her personal
charms and courtly manners. was a
universal favorite, and did great credit
to MI. Buchanan's administration.
Mrs. Davis, wife of the Secretary of
War, Jefferson Davis, whom well re-
member, was endowed with many re-
markable qualities that made her emin-
emily fitted to be a presiding genius,
and her entertainments brought togeth-
er the most cultivated class of Wash
ington society. Mrs. Joe Johnston was
another shining light in that great
capital, person Of unusual intelligence,
quick at repartee, which made her most
| fascinating in conversation. Her charm
ing reunions are long to be remembered
by those who were admitted in this
charmed circle. Our happiness that
winter was complete when we left
Washington with sincere regret and
the most agreeable impressions. How
well I remember General Robert E. Lee,
then a major, who was stationed there
at that time. He was the beau ideal
of q soldier and a gentleman.
| AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR.
In marked contrast to these days is
the account of how Mrs. Hancock
found Washington at the outbreak OF
| the rebellion. when her husband had
just been made a general. She writes:
''In accordance with my husbands
wishes I took house in Washington
for the Winter that L might readily
reach him in case he were wounded.
II In these soul-stirring days official
and social routine were quite as exact
ing; indeed, more so than ordinarily.
Washington society was extremely di-
versifed, frivolous and pretentious, diff.
fering materially from the brilliant as
semblies that had graced the capital
city in earlier days. One of the princi.
pal events OF that Winter was very
exclusive ball, given by Mrs. Lincoln
at the White House. Such an limo,
walton upon established customs sub
jected her to severe criticism from
every quarter. Mrs. Lincoln was con.
graduated upon the spirit of independ.
ence which she inaugurated in the Exc.
cutive Mansion, and which should have
found place there long before. She
had the courage to emancipate herself
from the limited routine of action and
habit prescribed for our presidents and
their wives by the populace, who re.
ligiously believed that the whole estab
lishment, including the body and sou,
of the President, belonged to Them"
T. The invitations were to be limited Il
the Cabinet, the Senate, the Diplomatic
Corps and the major generals of thu
army, and Brigadier General Hancock
and his family were the only exceptions
This was not understood by ourselve!
or our friends until explained to MI
by Mrs. lincoln, who expressed
her qualification at the oppor
tunity which enabled her; to return tn
hospitality and attention that he1
sister and other members o
her !. family had received from
my mother upon different occasions
when they were visiting St. Louis
Mr.. Lincoln rather demurred, at first
but was overruled by his wife, and tn,
invitation was extended This simpl
and unexpected recognition by Mrs
Lincoln quiet won upon me. In al
the sorrows and reverses which came t,
her in after years she had my entir,
sympathy, and have always believed
that her subsequent peculiarities Wer,